Hawaiian Air Renaissance Cruises has signed Hawaiian Airlines for another three years of Los Angeles-Tahiti charters to connect with its cruise liners. Hawaiian said the new contract, to start in August 2002 when an existing pact ends, will be worth a total of $85 million.
extends charter
deal to Tahiti
The new 3-year pact
By Russ Lynch
with Renaissance Cruises
will be worth $85 million
Star-Bulletin
Hawaiian began carrying Renaissance passengers both ways on the nonstop route on Aug. 31, 1999, under a two-year agreement worth $70 million.
At the time, it hired about 130 people, including pilots and flight attendants, to handle 18-20 flights a month. The service, using Hawaiian's DC-10-30 widebody aircraft seating 299, serves two purposes in Hawaiian's view.
Not only has it been good business by itself, it also introduces the Renaissance Cruise clients to Hawaiian's service, an exposure the airline hopes will help sell them on future Hawaii trips. The new contract calls for slightly fewer flights but more passengers per aircraft, 314 per flight, keeping the overall passenger numbers per year about the same, Hawaiian Airlines officials said.
"This contract gives Hawaiian Airlines a wonderful opportunity to build on the strength of our charter operations while providing Renaissance's clientele our special brand of island-style service and hospitality," said Paul J. Casey, Hawaiian's vice chairman and CEO.
Renaissance operates new ships of about 700 passengers each in year-round cruises around Tahiti and the South Pacific, as well as other cruise operations in the Greek Isles, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
The line says it finds the Hawaiian Airlines charters a good fit with its Tahiti-South Pacific operations.
It sells Tahiti cruise vacations of seven to 10 days, starting at $799 per guest.
"Hawaii Airlines provides an excellent flight experience that perfectly complements our Five Star Tahiti cruise vacation," said Charlie Dunwoody, vice president of sales at Renaissance Cruises.
The Tahiti trips are part of a strong charter business that Hawaiian has built up, aside from its scheduled mainland-Hawaii, Hawaii interisland and Hawaii-South Pacific routes.
Of Hawaiian Airlines total revenues of $607 million last year, $82 million came from charters, up 77 percent from charter revenues of $46.6 million in 1999. The airline runs seven Hawaii-Las Vegas charters a week and charters to Alaska two or three times a week, as well as occasional other charters.